Internet Safety

The Internet can be a wonderful resource for school pupils. They can use it for researching school homework, course work, communicate with other pupils, and play interactive games.

People who are old enough to punch in a few letters on the keyboard can literally access the world.

However, it is very important to be aware that the information can be permanent and damaging. It has been well documented that it is not always possible to determine the true identity of the person with whom they are communicating.

This can be a minefield for parents. The easiest way to control access to the internet at home is to contact your Internet Service Provider. For instance Talk Talk provide a free tool called HomeSafe which gives you control over the type of websites your household can access, across every single device that connects to the internet in your home. Other service providers will have similar tools for your home security.

With all portable devices it is advisable to set any security restrictions that may be available, before giving it to your child.

CEOPChild Exploitation and Online Protection – The Parents’ and Carers’ Guide to the InternetDon’t give out your personal information. Keep your full name, address, mobile number, email address, school name and friends’ full names secret. Otherwise people can use this information to contact you.Your passwords and usernames should be secret. If you have to give an online screen name or nickname, never use your full name, and try not to use things that are easy to guess like your parents name or a pet’s name.When you send a message from your mobile, your phone number automatically goes with it.So think carefully, especially before sending photos of yourself or friends. Weblink – CEOP Page for Secondary School Parent/Carers = https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/

GAMING CONSOLEDid you know games have Ratings too?

The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) ratings are designed to provide concise and impartial information about the content in computer and video games so parents and caregivers can make informed purchase decisions. ESRB ratings have two equal parts: rating symbols (on the front of the video game box) that suggest age appropriateness for the game and content descriptors (on the back) that indicate elements in a game that may be of interest or concern.

The ESRB also offers “rating summaries,” a supplementary source of information about game content that parents can use when considering which games to purchase for their children. Rating summaries are accessible via the ESRB Web site at www.esrb.org, its rating search widget, and even right from the store using ESRB’s free mobile app or mobile Web site at m.esrb.org.

Below are useful resources on how to access and control family settings on various gaming consoles available today:

The Internet has brought the world into our homes and is a veritable treasure trove of information for all the family to explore. From homework help to online gaming, messaging and researching, our children can gain a lot from the web. But at the same time it’s essential we ensure they use it responsibly and take measures to protect them from potentially harmful content.

Also CEOP have provide children with instant access to CEOP browser tools, so children can learn how to protect themselves online.Click your browser icon below to download the available tools.

Social networking

Social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace have exploded in recent years and young surfers in particular have become ardent fans of this dynamic and high-tech way to connect with the wider world around them, communicating with friends and hooking up with like-minded people. But as with everything in the virtual world, parents do need to understand how their children are interacting on social networking sites, and be sure their children know what to do if if they have experience a bad or dangerous situation.Click here to view information about social networking sites, what they are and how they are accessed. Also highlighted are potential dangers to be aware of and how to protect your child while they visit such websites.

iPhone Security

The iPhone itself has the ability to share and store vast types of information through communication modes, especially through apps and Internet tools. This means that it will hold personal and financial information, business information, Contacts, and, at times, sensitive materials that you would not want outside parties having access to. Whether it is in the case of a stolen iPhone, or simply one that a person is trying to access without your knowledge, you may want to ensure that your content is protected. Click here to look at how to set up security features on the iPhone.

By default, Safari is set to show some of the features of the web, like some movies, animation, and web applications. You may wish to turn off some of these features to help protect your privacy and your device from possible security risks on the Internet.

If you want full parental control for the iPhone/iPad, look into a free Application called McGruff SafeGuard on your Apple device. McGruff SafeGuard released a Child Safe Browser app which is a look-alike for Safari, but provides parents with full control of the categories of websites that can be visited. It also provides a report of activity to the parent via email.

They also provide software for Windows Parental Control which can be found at: www.GoMcGruff.com.